1,000th baby enrolled on child health service

1,000th baby enrolled on child health service

Midlands Health Network’s ground-breaking National Child Health Information Platform has reached a major milestone with its 1,000th enrolment.

More than 1,000 Waikato new-borns have now been enrolled on the service in less than a year, ensuring every one of them has the opportunity to receive the checks and health services they are entitled to.

Midlands Health Network Chief Executive, John Macaskill-Smith says the service has been steadily rolled out across the region since it first launched in Thames in August 2014.

“This is a major milestone and an acknowledgement of the hard work that has gone into creating this ground-breaking service,” he says.

“All Waikato midwives and birth unit administrators can now electronically enrol a new-born at the time of birth, removing unnecessary paperwork and processes.

“It is a simple, one-step process to notify the National Immunisation Register, newborn hearing, oral health, general practice, and Well Child provider / Tamariki Ora.

“These providers can then see a shared online view of a child’s progress towards their 29 health milestones, which include immunisations, oral health, hearing and vision checks, and before school checks.”

Should a child miss one of their checks, the health providers can access the telephone-based Child Health Coordination Service to help locate the child.

NCHIP will continue to grow as more providers are trained and given access.

“The Waikato roll-out will be completed by March 2015 at which point it will be evaluated and expanded to Gisborne, Taranaki and Taupo, before a nation-wide rollout,” says John.

“The service currently includes children from birth to six years of age, but this will also increase at a later date to include those under 18.

“This is a first for New Zealand, it means early childhood health services are delivered in a more coordinated way, creating better efficiencies across the entire health system and ensuring that no child falls between the cracks.

"NCHIP is another important component to supporting the development of a primary health care home. People live in the community and access the majority of their health care outside of hospitals and other large health institutions, so it's important to see investment and broader development of services closer to home."

NCHIP is funded by The Ministry of Health, Waikato DHB, Lakes DHB, Tairawhiti DHB, Taranaki DHB, National Health IT Board and Midlands Health Network.

For more information about NCHIP, visit www.midlandshn.health.nz/programmes/child-health-service.

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